A Word of Advice
by Kikuri
Summary: Set after S3E12 "The Western Air Temple". Zuko knows he has no choice. That's what he gets for burning his comrade's feet. But that doesn't mean he should be treated like some kind of dog (or whatever Avatar universe hybrid animal equivalent)... right? ...It's going to be a loooong day.


Yo I'm back from the dead lol. Wrote this after I had an Avatar marathon months ago, but forgot about it lol. Zuko and Toph are my two favorite characters, and they had a fun(ny) and interesting relationship. Shame that it was never really focused on. Before I end up rambling on about how amazing Avatar is though, I'd like to thank my beta reader for noticing a crap ton of mistakes. [sigh] Damn tenses. Anyway the ideas in this story are probably all rehash mixed with awkward phrasing, but I hope it'll be a good read nonetheless.

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Deep inside the Western Air Temple, the scent of a freshly made vegetable soup wafts through the air. Katara, in charge of cooking as always, stirs the soup with circular hand motions, while occasionally adding small bits of cleanly cut vegetables.

_Woosh!_

"Ah!"

A strong morning breeze enters inside the temples. The surrounding vines and leaf piles are completely blown away to the side, leaving the whole area clean. Katara remembers the strong winds from the other air temples she visited before, along with Sokka and Aang. She recalls Aang mentioning that all Air Temples are stationed in windy areas like mountains and cliffs (or in this case, below one), where it's easy to glide around and navigate quickly.

After the wind passes, Katara notices that the small flame below the pot had gone off.

"Hm, it's still not ready yet." Katara looks for her spark rocks, but they can't be seen anywhere. She remembers that they were just lying beside her, but it seems that the wind blew them away as well. She decides to call Sokka for help, knowing it would be the quickest way to get another fire working. Katara walks towards Sokka's room, passing by a water fountain and the tall pillars surrounding the main square. Even after a hundred years without basic housekeeping, the temple is still in good shape and is far from decomposing from existence.

"Sokka!" she calls out. "I need some help over here!"

Sokka slowly walks down the stairs and lets out a big yawn. "Hey Katara, what's for breakfast?"

"I was making some vegetable soup, but the huge wind earlier blew off the whole place, including the fire and our spark rocks." Katara gestures to the now empty space beside her. "Can you make a fire?"

"What! No meat? How are we supposed to survive?" Sokka stretches his arms wide then lands them on his forehead.

"We're not exactly full on our supplies Sokka. Maybe you can go hunt later, but for now this is all we have. Now can you help me out for a bit before flies start swarming around our breakfast?" Katara retorts.

"It's not easy to make a fire from scratch you know. We could spend the whole day spinning a small twig between our palms without making any progress."

"Maybe I can help."

Sokka and Katara look back and see Zuko standing a few feet away from them.

"I can always firebend you know," he states.

"That's great!" Sokka exclaims. "Now we don't have to starve to death!"

"Hmph." Katara wants to scoff, but Zuko was their only easy source of fire.

Zuko lets out a small flame on the palm of his hand, and reaches towards the dead campfire. As it contacts the small branches, a fair-sized fire lights up.

"Thanks Zuko," Sokka says. He would be hugging him right now like how Gran-gran used to squeeze him as a kid, if it weren't Zuko's ever so stern demeanor.

"No problem," Zuko replies. He turns towards Katara, hoping for the same appreciative words.

"Well, I can't continue if you're standing in the way,"

"…Right, Sorry. I'll just wake the others up." Zuko walks up the stairs.

Sokka faces Katara.

"What?"

"… This is still really weird," he replies.

Zuko enters Toph's room, the last room he has to wake before he can join the others downstairs. It's also the dirtiest of all. Zuko almost lets out a sneeze, but managed to control the urge. Clothes are scattered across the floor, ignoring the closet free-to-use by the wall. A pile of assorted objects such as a half-eaten sandwich and a heavy-looking belt lie at the foot of Toph's bed. Wait; is that a wanted poster on the wall?

"Hey Toph, breakfast is almost ready."

No reply. Toph continues to sleep soundly. It's almost funny how a little girl like her can snore so loudly. He definitely would not want to sleep in the same room as her, or even the one beside it.

"Um, Toph?"

Zuko walks towards her bed and nudges her to wake up. After several tries, Toph reflexively punches his arm in response.

"Ow!" Zuko rubs his arm to lessen the pain. Toph rolls around until she falls down her bed. The impact of the rock hard floor finally awakes her.

"…Oh, hey Zuko what's up?" Toph rubs her head while letting out a big yawn, then proceeds to rub her eyes.

"Breakfast is almost ready. You coming down?"

"Yeah, sure. Be there in a few." Toph stands up to pat the dust off her clothes. Thanks to her tired state however, she completely forgets the events that happened last night until a painful reminder kicks in.

"Ow, my feet!" Toph falls back down and winces in pain.

Zuko faces back and rushes towards her. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, because shouting 'Ow!' definitely means I'm okay."

"Sorry. And I'm sorry about burning your feet too. It was an accident."

"Apology accepted, but why'd it have to be my feet of all places? Now I'm really blind." Toph winces some more, tightly squeezing the top of her feet.

"Why don't I just carry you downstairs? It's the least I could do," Zuko suggests.

Toph thinks about the offer. She doesn't like the idea of not being able to at least feel her way through with her hands, but then again it's not like she could do much without her feet. Zuko does seem to be really sorry…

"Thanks! And to really compensate for it, why don't you carry me wherever I want to go until my feet heal? Oh, and you have to bring stuff to me whenever I ask too, kind of like a slave." Toph giggles at her newfound revenge.

"I'm not going to be your personal slave!" Zuko yells. He's a prince, well at least he was, until he pretty much banished himself. People are supposed to be ordered around by HIM, not the other way around.

"Hey, you said you were sorry! What do you think it's like for me who can't see AND walk?" Toph opens her pale eyes wide and furrows her brows, looking as if she were trying to make him feel sorry for her. It worked.

Zuko feels the guilt pang him even harder. He really has no choice. Not to mention he's not exactly in a very safe position in the group; he has to do what he can to gain their trust as a reliable comrade.

"… Well I guess I kind of deserve it. Here, hop on my back."

"Awesome, a piggyback ride! I could get used to this."

Zuko lowers his body below Toph's level. Toph stretches her arms forward until they manage to find his shoulders. She climbs up his back and securely hugs his neck like a koala-mouse. Her legs hook on both of Zuko's arms, careful not to let the soles of her feet touch anything. Zuko takes the signal and stands up. He starts walking straight through the corridor passing through a number of rooms.

iThere is a very apparent and awkward silence, something Zuko has grown accustomed to ever since joining Team Avatar. In actuality though, Toph is just normally unsociable first thing in the morning. She doesn't know Zuko the way Aang, Sokka and Katara do, so she has no reason to feel the same weirdness they do.

Seconds later, Zuko reaches the stairs. On his second step, he almost stumbles, but quickly regains his balance.

"H-hey, what was that?! I thought I was gonna fall." Toph tries to hide the quivering in her voice, but fails.

"Sorry about that, but you're pretty heavy for a kid."

"Don't call me a kid. Besides, I can't let anyone topple over me like Twinkle-toes does; I have a reputation as the greatest earthbender to live up to."

"You're pretty smug aren't you?" Zuko smirks. Toph is just brimming with confidence.

"Well it's true, and don't you forget it!"

Zuko and Toph near the campfire where everyone is surrounding. A few turn their heads to greet them with bread stuffed in their mouths. Aang is first to greet the two, followed by the others.

"Morning Zuko. Morning Toph. Looks like you're having fun."

"Morning everyone. What's for breakfast?" Toph takes a big sniff while Zuko lets her down to sit on the floor.

"Vegetable soup, with extra vegetables," Sokka replies, making an "ick" sound afterwards.

"Yuck. I'll pass. Don't we have any meat left?"

"Sorry Toph, but it's all we have," Katara bends about a ladleful of soup into her bowl. "Just try it, it's better than starving."

"It ain't so bad Toph!" says The Duke, snatching a piece of seasoned cabbage from a distracted Haru.

"Yeah Toph, it tastes just like onion and banana juice!" Aang takes a big slurp from his bowl.

"… Right. Oh well. Hey Sparky, go get me a bowl would ya? Make it snappy!" Toph snaps her fingers, making quite an echo through the walls.

Zuko tries to ignore the newly received pet name and grabs two bowls- one for himself, and the other for Toph.

"Hey, I like the new Zuko! Can you give me a backrub too while you're at it?" Sokka boisterously laughs at his own joke.

"Hands-off Sokka, he's my slave!" Toph defensively waves here arms in front of Zuko just as he was about to take a sip. "It's payback for burning my feet."

"Well Toph, I gotta say, that's a pretty good idea. It's about time he pays back for all the other horrible things he's done to us," Katara comments before giving another glare towards Zuko.

Sokka continues to negotiate with Toph of letting him borrow Zuko, arguing that he could be really useful for "something important" he has in mind. Katara asks what this "something" is but Sokka suspiciously shrugs it off as nothing. But no matter how he pleads, Toph refuses to oblige. They continue on for a few more minutes, while the others laugh at the scene. Zuko, however, isn't very sure whether he should laugh at two people talking about him as if her were some kind of object. As he takes another sip from soup bowl, he hopes that this wouldn't be a sign of a long, and tiring day.

"Let's start with some breathing lessons first."

It was a few minutes past noon. After having lunch, Zuko called Aang's attention saying it was time to start some firebending practice. The sun is at its brightest in the afternoon. Zuko figured it would be best to start by helping Aang get a good feel of the energy from the sun as it travels through their chi gates.

"Hey, this is just like training with Jeong Jeong. Please don't tell me I'm gonna be doing this for the whole day again." Aang sighs. He knows that Jeong Jeong was a firebending master and knew what he was doing, but Aang is not very fond of staying still for hours, _breathing_. It's just against his nature as a free-spirited monk.

"Don't worry, this is just a warm-up. Uncle used to force me to do these exercises every morni-"

"SPARKY!"

"Not again." Zuko's palm met his face. This was the umpteenth favor of the day. He wonders why she feels the need to bellow out when she's lying down just a few meters away.

"Get me a glass of water. I don't know what you guys are doing over there, but it's getting hotter by the minute. My clothes are starting to stick to my skin again."

Toph, not having much to do, continues to lie down on her makeshift rock bed, while nonchalantly playing with her meteorite bracelet. It's still hours away until her next healing session with Katara. She and Sokka went out to get some meat while Haru and the others continued to explore the temples. She would have joined them, but she's practically immobile at the moment. Ordering Zuko around intensifies the feeling of being cooped up in her old mansion.

"I hate to break it to you Toph, but I'm kind of in the middle of something. And will you stop calling me that ridiculous name?"

"Jeez, whine and complain, that's all you ever do. Do I have to remind you what you're making ME go through?"

Zuko takes another big sigh, questioning why he continues to submit to this form of self-torture before remembering that she still can't walk on her own. "Coming right up."

Aang stands by, awkwardly waiting for Zuko to finish his task. A butterfly starts to fly around his head, offering as a good distraction for the moment. It eventually lands on the bridge of his nose, until Momo jumps on his head and catches the insect with his hand, putting the new fresh snack in his mouth afterwards. Aang feels mildly disturbed.

"Right, so where were we?" Aang abruptly turns his head to see Zuko standing behind him.

"Um, breathing, right?"

Zuko forms a solid stance. His feet are about a foot apart from each other, while his arms are in front of his torso, with palms facing downwards. Aang follows suit. They both take big breaths, and calmly release them afterwards. They repeat the cycle a few more times.

"Firebending is an aggressive force. Most techniques are only good for the offensive side of battle. It's important to learn how to control your fire so you don't get carried away and waste your all your energy."

Aang nods. They both know well from personal experiences how dangerous fire can be.

"Feel the sun energizing all the parts of your bo-"

"SPARKY! Are you done playing yet? I wanna go explore with the others!"

The two are startled, but Zuko tells Aang to continue breathing. Zuko feels a vein pop out of his forehead.

"Control… yourself."

"How are your feet feeling, Toph?" Katara asks as she massages Toph's feet with big glowing healing bubbles of water. Toph had just woken up from a short afternoon nap. Lying on a rock all day isn't very entertaining.

"Well it doesn't hurt as much as yesterday, but it's still hard to stand for more than 3 seconds. Ahhh, that's the spot." Toph moves her hands behind her head and relaxes.

"Well I've sped up the healing process, so your feet should be fine by tomorrow. But try not to walk so much just to be safe." After a few minutes, Katara bends the water back to her animal skin pouch. "Want me to carry you back to your room?"

"No thanks, I already got someone on the job. SPARKY!" Toph claps her hands twice.

Meanwhile Zuko was just in the middle of demonstrating a basic firebending technique before losing his concentration once again. It appears that his brief period of peace and quiet has ended.

"…You know, I think that's enough for today." Zuko looks towards the horizon to sees the sun about to set. Good timing.

"Alright then. Until the next session, Sifu Hotman." Aang bows while doing the traditional Fire Nation hand sign. Zuko is slightly irked by the fact that now has not one, but _two_ unwanted nicknames.

"Chop chop, Sparky we haven't got all day! You said you'd go with me to explore the temple!" Toph impatiently says.

"I said nothing even remotely like that!"

"Well you're gonna have to do it anyway!"

Zuko is near exasperated by having to attend to Toph's every need, or want, more like it. He wouldn't survive another day like this. Thankfully, Toph says he has nothing to worry about as she hops on his back once again. Her feet will be fully functional by the next day. Zuko sighs in relief, thanking the heavens, wherever they are.

Toph suggests going up the flight of stairs leading to their rooms, which leads to another flight of stairs. They advance through the corridor, full of doors leading to pretty much the same rooms in the lower level where everyone stays. Eventually, they come across few unique rooms, like the echo chamber Aang mentioned. Another room was completely filled with statues of people, all of whom they are not familiar with. Their eyes, however, seemto have an eerie glow in them. Of course, every few times Toph would ask Zuko would let her down for a while so she can "see" these impressive rooms herself.

"Say, Toph. How do you see with your feet anyway?" Zuko curiously asks. He always thinks that he's missing something every time Toph, the blind girl, talks about "seeing".

"Oh right, you don't know. Well ever since I learned how to earthbend, my feet were trained to sense even the slightest vibrations on the earth," Toph explains. "I guess you can say it makes my earthbending different from most people too. I don't have to rely on sight to win when I have a better alternative."

"That's… incredible. You really weren't lying," Zuko praises.

"I told ya."

Toph climbs back on Zuko before her feet start to hurt again. The next room they come across is a small library. It was not big at all, looking more like a lounge than a knowledge compendium, with only about five shelves. Surprisingly, it was left almost untouched even after the raid. Zuko thinks that the Avatar would be overjoyed to see that some parts of the temple were left as they were.

"What's this place?" Toph asks.

"It's a library. And surprisingly, none of it is charred or destroyed like the other parts of the temple. Wanna check it out?"

"Oh sure! Reading books is just one of my favorite hobbies."

"Sorry."

The two promptly leave the room to realize they have reached the end of the corridor, with a final staircase leading towards the rooftop. Zuko climbs up to see what looks like a garden. Several pillars are lined at the side, but most are broken crumbled into chunks. Although some of the potted plants have withered to dust, natural-growing greenery like moss and vines covering those pillars still purify the air.

"Finally some fresh air!" Toph literally inhales the surroundings. "Let me down on a ledge or something. All this surveying around has gotten me pooped."

"I don't see how you can get so tired when I'm the one who had to carry you throughout the whole thing." Zuko lowers his body, so Toph can step out. She finds her way to the nearby ledge. He then sits beside her and relaxes his weary limbs.

"Lighten up, Sparky. No wonder it gets awkward when you're around."

A gust of wind blows once again, ruffling both Zuko and Toph's hair.

"I guess I just really am bad at being good," Zuko admits defeatedly.

Toph's eyes flicker. The few times she's talked to Zuko and heard of him, he always gave a strong and confident impression. It's strange at first to see him like this. But knowing that Zuko must have gone through a lot from Prince of the Fire Nation to becoming the Avatar's firebending teacher, Toph isn't very surprised. Parents can have such a great effect over their children.

"Sorry, I take it back." Now it's Toph's turn to feel guilty for her careless actions. "I mean, just a day ago you turned your back on the Fire Nation to teach Aang. Besides, I'm sure the others will get used to you eventually. I know I did."

"Even then, it took me so long to understand. To realize how wrong I've been all this time. My uncle always tried to lead me to the right path. He's been with me since the day I was banished." Zuko's voice quivers for less than a second. It was almost unnoticeable, but Toph could sense his heartbeat react the same way. "In Ba Sing Se, I was finally given the chance to live a free and peaceful life with him. But how did I repay him? By leaving him in the dust to help Azula _kill _the only person who capable of restoring balance to the world."

Zuko takes a deep breath and lowers his head. He buries his face on his hands out of shame.

"I'm sorry you had to listen to this. I know what I did wrong for a fact, but it just keeps coming to me since the day I returned to the Fire Nation."

It takes Toph a few seconds to formulate her response.

"Zuko, we're friends now aren't we? At least I consider you one. Believe it or not, you and the rest of the guys are my _only_ friends. Ever since I was born, my parents sheltered me literally from existence, just because I was blind. I know they were just looking out for me, but when Aang walked in and asked me to be his teacher, I had no choice but to come clean. But even when I told them the truth- the truth that I love earthbending, they completely disregarded it and forbade me to even go outside!" Toph almost yells at this point, but her face softens to a wistful expression.

"As much as I was mad, I was also really sad." Her voice softens as well.

"I did what I had to do and ran away, but it's sad to find out that the very people who raised me didn't like the _real_ me. But I'm glad though that Aang, Sokka, and Katara let me in their group. They were more like a real family to me. I know my personal troubles are nothing compared to yours, but just know that-"

"Toph, it's okay." Zuko cuts her sentence short and looks at her. "I forgive you. And honestly you might have been my first friend since teaming up with you guys too. If you hadn't defended me, the rest would have never even considered accepting me."

"And you proved yourself by beating up Combustion Man. Zuko, you may have done a lot of bad things in past, but that's what makes you the person you are today. Maybe you were one of the most detestable and arrogant people we've met at first…"

"Gee, thanks," Zuko dishearteningly says, but Toph moves her index finger in front of his mouth and shuts it closed.

"…But the fact that you completely turned yourself around makes you one of the most respectable and trustworthy people I know." Toph turns her head and smiles at him.

"I don't think I deserve that praise," Zuko replies almost sheepishly.

"Oh and you didn't let me finish."

"Oh… Sorry." Zuko mentally counts the number of times he's said that word today.

"Some advice from a new friend: Stop worrying. Just be yourself. If you keep up at it, everyone would be friendly in no time. It worked for me."

Zuko continues to stare into the scenery, contemplating what she hadjust said. And perhaps she was right. His inner turmoil cannot be washed away so easily, yet, he has never felt so… _at peace_. Perhaps joining the Avatar would not only bring peace to the world, but him as well. Destiny had planned out everything.

"Thanks Toph."

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You know the drift- review away. This is the first long-ish fic I made, so I'd love to hear from you guys what I should improve on.


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